Major Miami Hospital Limits Surgeries Amid Covid-19 Return (1)

Jackson Health System, which operates one of Florida’s biggest hospitals, said it will limit inpatient surgeries and procedures to emergency and urgent cases starting Monday amid an increase in Covid-19 cases in the state.

The hospital system, which includes Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital, said it continues to see a “steady increase” in Covid-19 patients admitted to its facilities, according to an emailed statement Wednesday.

Florida, with one of the nation’s largest 65-and-over populations, has seen infections rise sharply in June after faring surprisingly well earlier in the pandemic. Although the new infections initially skewed younger and had muted clinical consequences, older Floridians -- including those in nursing homes and assisted living facilities -- are now testing positive at higher rates.

Miami-Dade County, Florida’s most populous, reported Tuesday the highest numbers of Covid-19 hospitalizations, intensive-care patients and ventilator use since at least early May.

Florida doesn’t currently disclose statewide current Covid-19 hospitalization figures, but a Florida Department of Health spokesman said this week that it would start doing so soon.

Jackson Memorial currently has 25.8% of its beds and 12.5% of its intensive-care unit beds available overall, according to the latest data reported by the state.

(Updates with context in third paragraph.)

--With assistance from Nathan Crooks.

To contact the reporter on this story:
Jonathan Levin in Miami at jlevin20@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Flynn McRoberts at fmcroberts1@bloomberg.net

© 2020 Bloomberg L.P. All rights reserved. Used with permission.